Magmarot C 230 K Sportcoupé is here
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,377
Likes: 1
From: Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
2005 smart cabrio; 2008 Mercedes-Benz B 200
Magmarot C 230 K Sportcoupé is here
WOO-HOO!
Our dealer phoned today (Sat.) and told us that the "magma" red C 230 K Coupé we ordered on March 15 has arrived! So, given the weekend and other logistical considerations (such as removing the car's protective plastic "condom" it comes sheathed in), we pick it up in Victoria on Wednesday morning next week.
As I wrote before, it is mainly my (76 year old) Dad's car, though I am co-owner and will drive it quite regularly. He's excited as hell because he sold his 1997 Lada Niva (no sh*t!) 4 weeks ago and we've been sharing my old 170,000 mile Peugeot 405 since then.
It's pretty basic - Dad did not like the Evolution wheels so he gets the 16 inchers and longer shifter - but it does have the Panorama sunroof and rain-sensor wipers. I hope it has Michelins as the Continental tires are pretty crappy, I hear, subject to flat-spotting.
The bright red may be a cop magnet, but who's gonna give a ticket to the nice old WWII RCAF veteran driving it?
I'll post a photo when I get a chance (don't have a digital camera, so it'll be a few weeks).
Our dealer phoned today (Sat.) and told us that the "magma" red C 230 K Coupé we ordered on March 15 has arrived! So, given the weekend and other logistical considerations (such as removing the car's protective plastic "condom" it comes sheathed in), we pick it up in Victoria on Wednesday morning next week.
As I wrote before, it is mainly my (76 year old) Dad's car, though I am co-owner and will drive it quite regularly. He's excited as hell because he sold his 1997 Lada Niva (no sh*t!) 4 weeks ago and we've been sharing my old 170,000 mile Peugeot 405 since then.
It's pretty basic - Dad did not like the Evolution wheels so he gets the 16 inchers and longer shifter - but it does have the Panorama sunroof and rain-sensor wipers. I hope it has Michelins as the Continental tires are pretty crappy, I hear, subject to flat-spotting.
The bright red may be a cop magnet, but who's gonna give a ticket to the nice old WWII RCAF veteran driving it?
I'll post a photo when I get a chance (don't have a digital camera, so it'll be a few weeks).
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,377
Likes: 1
From: Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
2005 smart cabrio; 2008 Mercedes-Benz B 200
C 230 K update (long)
So today my Dad and I picked up the new car. My wife was there too, and saw a citron yellow C 230 K for the first time, saying it was a marvellous colour! Funny, she hated it when she saw one in a brochure I have.
We got to Three Point Motors (Victoria) at 10 AM and there was no evidence of the car on the lot, but they had parked it in the centre of the showroom - no doubt for the dramatic effect - where we could have a good look at it. All looked well at first, but then I noticed in the crease in the hood that goes towards the "split" in the headlight, a small upward dent, as though the hood had closed on something hard below it. I showed it to the salesman, who immediately ordered a dent removal service on the spot, and they worked the dent out within an hour. Now the only way you can tell anything was there is on the underside of the hood, where one of the emission control detail stickers was slightly disturbed by the metal bodyworking tools. Literally as good as new! so that was a relief. The salesman says he checked the car carefully when it came in to the dealer for damage and it wasn't there, and he would have repaired it before we came if he'd known it was there - well it was hard to see this dent so I'll believe the story. So he thinks one of the mechanics must have done it...
The car is bright red like oxygenated blood (cop magnet?) and the paint is nice, without being superb - good as expected with these modern water-solvent paints, as good as any other new Benz on the lot.
It had Michelin MXV4 Energy tires. I'm glad it doesn't have Continentals, as some of you have reported balance and flat-spot problems wth Contis.
The insurace was cheaper than my Dad expected - only $1100 Canadian (maybe 700 US) per year, full coverage.
The owner's manual is hard-cover (strange - the advance copy we got from the salesman and did not return - heh heh - is soft covered) and these documents all live in a nice leather pouch. All he got for free from the dealer was the floor mats and key chains (2) - we'll see if there's more to come... ;-)
The non-evo wheels are beautiful and I've warned my Dad not to get too close to curbs etc.
So Dad asked me to drive it from Victoria to Mill Bay as he did not want to learn the clutch in heavy traffic, so my wife and I were in it alone for that 40 km section. The torque of this engine is just amazing, HUGE, maximum of 280 Nm is developed between 2500 and 4800 rpm, so even without trying to accelerate it just pushes hard, that part reminds me of a big block Caddy actually (don't ask).
The gearshift, ofter criticised in the press and on this board, is JUST FINE, thank you very much, better for sure than the Peugeot 405 I use daily, and it's very easy to use. The clutch pedal is very light, half the effort needed in the 405 for example, which itself is easy compared to the old 404 Coupé I have At 100 km/h in 6th gear, the engine is at only 2250 rpm or so. It is very easy to exceed the speed limit in this car.
The sunroof is great - we had it open 1/2 way for 20 km then closed it due to rain showers at the Malahat. With the roof shut, the car is nearly silent and the engine is barely perceptible. Although this car has the "sport" suspension that is optional on the C sedan, the ride is very comfortable. The seats too are firm but comfortable, and fit me properly unlike the too small seats of the 405 (built for mini-French guys).
So the conclusion is it's a superb car. My Dad's on Cloud Nine. I'll post some photos once they're developed (stone age technology).
We got to Three Point Motors (Victoria) at 10 AM and there was no evidence of the car on the lot, but they had parked it in the centre of the showroom - no doubt for the dramatic effect - where we could have a good look at it. All looked well at first, but then I noticed in the crease in the hood that goes towards the "split" in the headlight, a small upward dent, as though the hood had closed on something hard below it. I showed it to the salesman, who immediately ordered a dent removal service on the spot, and they worked the dent out within an hour. Now the only way you can tell anything was there is on the underside of the hood, where one of the emission control detail stickers was slightly disturbed by the metal bodyworking tools. Literally as good as new! so that was a relief. The salesman says he checked the car carefully when it came in to the dealer for damage and it wasn't there, and he would have repaired it before we came if he'd known it was there - well it was hard to see this dent so I'll believe the story. So he thinks one of the mechanics must have done it...
The car is bright red like oxygenated blood (cop magnet?) and the paint is nice, without being superb - good as expected with these modern water-solvent paints, as good as any other new Benz on the lot.
It had Michelin MXV4 Energy tires. I'm glad it doesn't have Continentals, as some of you have reported balance and flat-spot problems wth Contis.
The insurace was cheaper than my Dad expected - only $1100 Canadian (maybe 700 US) per year, full coverage.
The owner's manual is hard-cover (strange - the advance copy we got from the salesman and did not return - heh heh - is soft covered) and these documents all live in a nice leather pouch. All he got for free from the dealer was the floor mats and key chains (2) - we'll see if there's more to come... ;-)
The non-evo wheels are beautiful and I've warned my Dad not to get too close to curbs etc.
So Dad asked me to drive it from Victoria to Mill Bay as he did not want to learn the clutch in heavy traffic, so my wife and I were in it alone for that 40 km section. The torque of this engine is just amazing, HUGE, maximum of 280 Nm is developed between 2500 and 4800 rpm, so even without trying to accelerate it just pushes hard, that part reminds me of a big block Caddy actually (don't ask).
The gearshift, ofter criticised in the press and on this board, is JUST FINE, thank you very much, better for sure than the Peugeot 405 I use daily, and it's very easy to use. The clutch pedal is very light, half the effort needed in the 405 for example, which itself is easy compared to the old 404 Coupé I have
At 100 km/h in 6th gear, the engine is at only 2250 rpm or so. It is very easy to exceed the speed limit in this car.The sunroof is great - we had it open 1/2 way for 20 km then closed it due to rain showers at the Malahat. With the roof shut, the car is nearly silent and the engine is barely perceptible. Although this car has the "sport" suspension that is optional on the C sedan, the ride is very comfortable. The seats too are firm but comfortable, and fit me properly unlike the too small seats of the 405 (built for mini-French guys).
So the conclusion is it's a superb car. My Dad's on Cloud Nine. I'll post some photos once they're developed (stone age technology).
